Exmoor Dark Skies Reserve

Exmoor National Park has been designated as Europe’s first International Dark Sky Reserve. The park is almost completely light pollution free and therefore has some of the most breath-taking night skies ideal for stargazing. Unlike in towns and cities, on Exmoor you will see many stars that you never knew existed, and on a dark moonless night the glow of the Milky Way can easily be seen.

When staying at Litton Farm you will witness some stunning dark skies allowing you to see the stars clearly even if you don’t have a telescope or binoculars. On a clear night there may be up to 3,000 stars visible with the naked eye, in comparison normally only 200 stars can be seen when living near a town or city. If you have a high-magnification telescope you will see even more of the estimated 100 billion stars that are in our galaxy.

Stargazing on Exmoor is an all year-round activity with the winter months providing longer and darker skies, which are less affected by atmospheric conditions, so the sky appears more crisp and clear. The winter (between November and February) is also the best time to see the Orion constellation. The best conditions for seeing the stars is on a dark night when there is no bright moon and when the sun has set fully. This means there are normally only two weeks in every month when the nights are truly dark. If coming to Exmoor to see the stars it is well worth taking this into consideration when booking.

One of the designated Dark Sky Discovery Sites is the beautiful Landacre Bridge, which is just a short drive from Litton Farm. Other sites include Brendon Two Gates, Dunkery and Horner Wood, Holdstone Down and Wimbleball Lake.

Exmoor Dark Skies Festival

In October/November, Exmoor hosts the Dark Skies Festival. The event, which is held over two weeks has a range of events to suit everyone, including families and budding astronomers, these include the Family Astro Party, a guided night walk, a planetarium session and various talks on stargazing.

Book online or get in touch

Fallen in love with Litton Farm? Booking the farmhouse is quick and easy, just visit our booking page and you will find an up to date calendar with all prices where you can book online. Alternatively, you can get in touch via hello@littonfarmexmoor.co.uk or on 01271 377 432 and a member of the My Favourite Cottages team will be able to assist you in answering any questions you may have or help set up a booking.